About Beth

If you’re here, I guess you want to know more about me. Well, let’s see…I live in Nashville, my favorite color is green, I have two different colored eyes, I’m a Gemini, I grew up in a small Kentucky town that didn’t get its first traffic light until I was a senior in high school, I arrange my closet in Roy G. Biv order, and I am perhaps the worst singer in Music City, USA.

And, as if it isn’t obvious, I like to eat and drink. I also enjoy talking and laughing and meeting new people. Lucky for me, I’m married to a man that likes to do those same things, and he just happens to make me laugh more than any person I’ve ever known. In January of 2012, we welcomed a bouncing baby boy into the world and we’re both over the moon happy. Life is good.

Okay, maybe none of that stuff matters to you, but I have a feeling some of these next few questions and answers will. These are the inquiries I get on a pretty regular basis, even by people who have known me for years!

What made you start this blog?

For some time, I’ve been known in my circle of friends and acquaintances as the one who stays on top of events happening around town and knows the best places to eat and drink, whether it’s here in Nashville, or other cities throughout the U.S. I’ve always been a planner. When I go on a trip, I spend weeks, sometimes even months, researching the city I’m visiting to make perfectly sure that I have great experiences. It pays off. Not just for me, but for those friends who don’t feel like doing the legwork themselves.

Since I cook quite often, I also share favorite recipes with friends and family. At some point I realized that it would be much easier to share my adventures and recipes by posting them online instead of via email every time someone asked. It was never really something I thought about other people reading- just people who already knew me. Little did I know…

Is this what you do for a living? Do you get paid?

No and no. This is totally a hobby and all of my writing and gallivanting around town is done in my spare time. I do sometimes get free samples of a product to try out, but please know that I only accept those that I feel are a fit for my life and my interests. If I take the time to write about it, then that means I really liked it and I think you will too.

My real job, the one that helps me bring home the bacon, is Director of Marketing for Goo Goo Clusters. And yes, my blog is to thank for landing me this very cool career!

What originally sparked your interest in food?

Honestly, I don’t know. It just sort of happened over time. I don’t have a cool story about cooking at a young age, because I didn’t. My mom was a wonderful cook, and I was fortunate enough to grow up in a home where we sat down to dinner at the table, as a family, every night of the week. We didn’t eat fast food, we ate real food. It wasn’t until I went away to college that I started to experiment in the kitchen out of necessity. Something started to click. My food made people happy and that hooked me.

At that point in my life, I hadn’t traveled much so the only “exotic” foods I had experienced were Chinese and Mexican, but of the Fried Rice and Speedy Gonzalez variety. It wasn’t until after college, when I moved clear across the country to sunny San Diego that I was introduced to a whole new world of dining options. I ate sushi and pho for the first time and discovered the joys of street tacos in Tijuana and tamales at roadside stands in Ensenada.

Through the years I’ve traveled a bit, trying new foods wherever I go. Now there’s really not much I won’t eat or drink, although I’m not a fan of mayonnaise, licorice and tea. Yes, you’ve just found a Southern girl that hates tea, even sweet tea! Avocado was once on my “Yuck List”, but slowly it’s growing on me. Pig parts? I’ve pretty much eaten them all including the ears, tail, and testicles. Hey, don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it!

How in the world do you eat all of this food and stay the size you are?

First let me dispel the theory that I am blessed with a high metabolism. I have not been genetically gifted with anything of the sort. I put on (and took off) the Freshman 15 in college. I’ve been known to put on over 5 lbs in a one week vacation. So the answer is two-fold, yet fairly simple.

1) I work out. Thankfully, I enjoy working out almost as much as I do eating. At least 4-5 days a week I’m up and at the gym by 6 a.m. I do a combination of weight training and cardio, as well as fun hikes with friends on the weekends when the weather is nice. I love spin class but I don’t love running. If you see me running, it means I am probably trying to get off the 5 lbs I just gained on vacation.

2) 95% of my meals are healthy and nutritious because the foods I enjoy most are those that make me feel good. My normal daily diet is high in protein and filled with fibrous fruits and vegetables, many of which are locally grown and in season. I strive to eat foods as close to their natural state as possible, which means very little processed foods. But remember, I love to eat, so there’s also that other 5%. Those dishes that may not be the best for my health, but taste so freakin’ good I can’t resist. As far as I’m concerned that’s okay, as long as it’s in moderation. It’s all about balance :-)

Well there you go. That’s me in a nutshell! If you have any other questions, feel free to drop me a note using the form above, or email me directly at betheats@gmail.com. I encourage you to leave comments on posts because I love getting your thoughts, hearing your experiences, and even trying your recipes. Don’t be shy, speak up!